Dark Earth (Male Reader)

21: Gaps

You're still holding her hand as you walk down the small hill towards the final stretch of your journey. The mountains sit behind you, still covered in the dense white fog. Dim looks up at you, then down at your hands. She smiles a little, squeezing her fingers against yours.

"So..." she says, "it's just over those hills. We should be able to see the top of the tower soon."

You don't respond right away. You look up and notice a small spire just barely sticking over the rocks. As you walk closer, you can see more and more of the tower. It's tall and narrow. Smooth, without any windows or carvings. Your heart races as a little bit more information trickles into your head. Your steps slow, making Dim stop.

"(Y/N)? Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I think... I think I'm okay..."

"Are you sure?" she asks, moving in front of you. "You look... scared."

She's right. That tower marks the end of your journey. After a short life of just walking through the wasteland, you're not sure what you're going to do afterwards. You're still having trouble remembering, but it's slowly starting to pop up thanks to the strange words the living stones put in your head. You wonder if that was just part of its natural functions.

"I don't know... I feel like once I get to the tower... everything's going to change... and I don't know if it's going to be good or bad, and I don't know if I can stop it if it is bad..."

"Hey, don't worry, alright?" Dim says smoothly. "Everything's going to be okay. I'll be here. I may not be able to help if something goes wrong... but... I won't leave you."

She pulls your head down, kissing you. Her soft lips warm yours, making them tingle. You hug her close and kiss back, loving the feeling of her body against yours. It's something that feels new every time you do it. You don't want it to end.

"Come on. This is what you've wanted," Dim says, pulling out of the embrace. "Once you've gotten all your memories back, you can choose what to do next. You don't have to worry about that now."

You nod, starting to walk again. You look down at the earth around your feet. It's black and dead, full of evil. Something went wrong. Something unnatural. Everything has been tainted. However, you don't feel as bad as you have before when observing the destruction. The five rings on your arm are feeding you power. You can feel strength welling up inside you. It feels natural.

More of the tower can be seen from over the range. It has a large base with pillars stretching up along side it. There are designs on them; five black circles all in a row. This place is definitely connected to you.

"What can you tell me about the tower?" you ask Dim. "Is there anything people know about it?"

"Kind of," she responds. "People know it's old. Older than the first civilizations. It's just sat there since forever and no one knows where it came from or who made it. There are old stories of people trying to get in, but most of them end in failure. I think maybe one person was able to enter, that was several years before all of this happened."

"And now? Are there any people around it?"

"No. They're all to scared. They call it the Death Spire or something. The myths about it are all vague and ominous. Plus..."

You step over the slight hill and see what she's talking about. The ground leading up to the tower is gone. Before you sits a huge canyon, diving deep into the earth. The bottom is shrouded in darkness, leaving you with no clues as to how deep it is. Sticking out of the depths are several large stone pillars. They're wide with long sections of rocks connecting them like bridges. It looks terribly unstable, making it easy for you to understand why no one would want to live around here.

"Yes... That's right."

Dim looks up, noticing a shift on your complexion. You were looking startled and apprehensive before, but now you've changed. You're calm and collected. You're comfortable and quiet.

"Do you remember this?" Dim asks.

"Yes. I think I remember this. The tower... it was built here to deter people from going to it. Well, I think that's why, anyways."

"Wow... what else do you remember?"

"... Not much..."

You smile and look over at her. You're not sure if it's a real one or not. You take her hand again, squeezing it warmly.

"Come on. We're almost there. Let's try to be careful over those things."

You both start walking down the decline, making your way over the first few natural bridges. The cold wind pulls at you, trying to pull you down into the abyss. It's no problem though. You're more than strong enough to fight against it. However, there's more than wind waiting for you.

You stop suddenly when you come up on the fourth pillar. Dim stops and searches around before looking back.

"What is it?"

You don't answer. There's a noise from up ahead. From down over the side of the pillar, two large figures crawl over the rim. The first is long and thin. In its hand is one long bone, rubbing against the ground as it gasps at the air. The second one is large and round. Several sets of eyes peer around as the two heads on its arms brush off the dirt from its body. The Bone Lurker and Dirt Lurker stand between you and the path forward, but they're not done. A screeching noise comes from the sky. A shadow is cast over you as a Cloud Lurker crashes down in between the other two monsters, finishing off the trio of beasts.

Dim stands stiff beside you. The sight of the three monsters has rendered her immobile. She grips your arm in fear, struggling to breathe. However, you're still calm, and looking a little tired. You stare down the Lurkers, analyzing them. You know why they're here.

"Dim. It's alright."

"W... What?"

"It's okay. They're not a danger," you say calmly.

"B-But there's three different Lurkers... Can you take on all of them while protecting me?"

"Well, let me rephrase that. They're not a danger to you."

"What?" she asks.

"They're not interested in you. They're here for me. Go on ahead to the tower. I'll meet you there in a bit."

"Are you insane!?" Dim asks, panting as she holds you.

You smile and kiss her forehead, putting your hand on her shoulder.

"Trust me. You'll be fine."

You step up slightly to the monsters, raising your voice over the wind.

"Let her pass! She's of no threat to you. I am."

The Lurkers remain still, but they suddenly move off to the side, clearing a path down to the next bridge. Stunned, Dim moves slowly over the top of the pillar. She passes right next to the Lurkers. Her heart races as she walks, trying not to panic. They watch her with their dead grey eyes before turning their attention back to you. Dim runs down the length of the bridge, away from the incoming battle. You know that they're going to throw everything at you, but then, what else is new?

"Alright. Let's get this over with."